Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-01
LINCOLN'S NOMINATION.
A CHESS PLAYERS QUICK PERCEP-
TON TURNED THE SCALE.

An Incident of the Republican National
Convention of IS6o-Decisive Action at
a Critical 1Ioment-A Chess Players
Vantage.
H. K Enos, who was the close personal
friend and principal broker Of William d.
Vanderbilt, is one of the quiet men OF the
Stock Exchange. In the old days, when bent
on executing some OF the big deals OF his
mighty millionaire friend, he was, as he Is
now, un0btilsive and never posing. de Is
good deal prouder OF the part his father, the
modest banker of an Ohio village. played IN
politics than he is OF the prominence and the
ducats that he has won in Wall street.
The elder Enos was a Wing Of the old
school. and a little in advance Of his party,
always earnest and aggressive, sympathlzlng
even with the Abolitionist apostles. He lived
at Millersburg, and twenty-five or thirty
years ago was widely known all over what
was then known as the west as an accountant
of rare abilities and chess player whom no
body could beat The preliminary canvass
of 1860 made him delegate to the Republi-
can National convention TO nominate presl-
Dental candidate. He believed in Chase;
ANYBODY to beat Seward was satisfactory to
him Then came his capacity as an account
art into play, and the powers OF memory,
grouping and combination that the chess
board cultivates, were then Of rare use. He
easily kept ahead of the conventions clerks
in the tallying Of votes and the relation OF
each addition 20 the result.
CRITICAL MOMENT.
Ohio had been called, though the vote was
not vet announced, when he suddenly leaped
to his feet and whispered among his col
leagues that Lincoln lacked only two and
half votes of having the nomination. The
others could scarce believe it, when he urged
upon his friend r. II. Corwin, son OF the
famous statesman Tom Corwin, to change
their votes to make lincoln the nominee.
Coryin quickly acceded, and SO did two
others Of the delegation, all joining IN re-
quest TO David (. Cartier, the Ohio chairman,
TO hurry in tho announcement of the changed
votes before tho clerks should read the result
The clerks were still busy adding up figures
when Chairman Cartier, himself scarcely re-
aIiZing the import of his message, announced
that four of his men were DESTROYS of having
their votes put down to Abraham Lincoln
Then the four Ohio delegates began jubi-
| Zee. Their shouts shook the building. Hur-
| rahs for Lincoln swept over the aSsembiage.
Banker Robert Enos, with his quick eye Of a
chess player and sharp knack OF casting up
totals, had caught the convention mapping.
Lincoln was nominated.
Nj. Fl. K Enos treasures as one Of his
choicest possessions the badge that his father
| wore at the Chicago convention, and In his
scrap book is worn old slip Of paper, a
| Ginning from The Chicago Tribune of the
| day following tho convention, which IN an
| editorial paragraph, headed 1.-THE -Four
Votes" says this:
HOW IT WAS DONE.
During the progress of the third ballot for
| president the steady increase of Lincoln's
vote raised the expectations of his friends tc
fever heat that he was about to receive the
nomination. When the roll call was com
pleted o hast, ootng discovered that Lin
| coin lacked but "a votes of election, the bal
| lot standing: For Lincoln. 23115; Seward
40; scattering, 3411l; necessary for a choice
| 234. Before the vote was announced Mr.. r.
| IL. Corwin, of the Ohio delegation, who hac
voted for Governor Chase up TO that time
| and three other delegates-R. K. Enos, JOIN
| a. Cur!ey and Isaac Steese-changed theil
| FOteS 10 LuCoiii, oi'Ahe, hAin {" A''- JoAA.J "
| the whole convention and nominating him
| D. Z. Cartier, chairman of the delegation
announced the change of votes, and befor'
tho secretary had time to foot up and an
| nounce the result the vast audience burs
forth simultaneously into irrepressible shouts
A deafening roar of applause arose from tn
immense multitude such as has never beer
equaled on the American continent nor sine
the walls of Jericho were blown down"
Chairman Cartier, OF the Ohio delegation
who is mentioned, was Chief Justice Davit
*. Cartier, of the supreme court of the Dis
trict of Columbia, who died recently il
Washington, in his 10Th year. Mr.. Enos en-
joyed Mr. Lincoln's friendship, but ne neve
accepted an Office. He died three years ago
New York Times.